Saturday, July 2, 2016

Homeless Vietnam Veteran Not Forgotten or Nameless

“Gregory” was found dead behind a convenience store. It wasn’t until after his death that the Raymondville community found out who “Gregory” really was. His name was Kent Karl Kauten. He was from Wisconsin and a veteran of the U.S. Navy.

RAYMONDVILLE — A Vietnam veteran will now be forever remembered in Raymondville. An anonymous donor bought a headstone for a homeless man buried in the city cemetery.

Until Friday, the grave was marked with a small, simple, not-so-permanent marker.

“We’d see him every day for five years panhandling at our streets, and we didn't know him. He was like an unknown soldier,” said VFW Commander George Solis.

Solis said the man would’ve been buried as a John Doe if it hadn’t been for a group of five Raymondville teens.

In 2013, CHANNEL 5 NEWS reported about a duo that was part of a church group that was doing a project on poverty. They interviewed the man with a shopping cart, who seemed to live under the highway over pass. The man called himself “Gregory.”

“We knew ‘Gregory’ as the man under the bridge, the homeless man who pushed around a cart,” said Ralia Cortinas, a member of the church group. read more here

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Crisis Phone Numbers

Vietnam Veterans of AmericaCrisis Phone Numberspecial noticeIf you are a veteran in emotional crisis and need help RIGHT NOW, call this toll-free number 1-800-273-8255, available 24/7, and tell them you are a veteran. All calls are confidential.http://www.vva.org/

Veterans’ Crisis Intervention Hotline

1-888-899-9377

A Crisis Intervention Hotline has been established by the VA Heartland Network to assist veterans who may be dealing with a mental health crisis or difficult issue in their lives. The hotline will also aid family members or friends of veterans who need help in assisting a veteran in crisis.